[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 209 (Friday, October 29, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 58409-58410] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-28314] [[Page 58409]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-OW-6466-6] Notice of Intent To Revise Aquatic Life Criteria for Copper, Silver, Lead, Cadmium, Iron and Selenium; Notice of Intent To Develop Aquatic Life Criteria for Atrazine, Diazinon, Nonylphenol, Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MtBE), Manganese and Saltwater Dissolved Oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras); Notice of Data Availability; Request for Data and Information AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of intent to revise aquatic life criteria for copper, silver, lead, cadmium, iron and selenium; notice of intent to develop aquatic life criteria for atrazine, diazinon, nonylphenol, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MtBE), manganese and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras); notice of data availability; request for data and information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and publish, and from time to time revise, criteria for water accurately reflecting the latest scientific knowledge. Today, EPA is notifying the public of its intent to revise the current aquatic life criteria for copper, silver, lead, cadmium, iron and selenium and to develop new aquatic life criteria for atrazine, diazinon, nonylphenol, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MtBE), manganese and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras). Lists of references available to the Agency for copper, silver, lead, cadmium, selenium, atrazine, diazinon, nonylphenol and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras) are available on the Office of Science and Technology's Home-page. References for iron, MtBE and manganese will be posted on the Office of Science and Technology's Home-page when they are available. EPA is soliciting any additional pertinent data or scientific views that may be useful in revising or developing these criteria. ADDRESSES: Send an original and three copies of any data, references or information to W-99-15 Comment Clerk, Water Docket, MC 4104, US EPA, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. Information may also be submitted electronically to OW-D[email protected]. Information should be submitted as a WP5.1, 6.1 and/or 8.0 or an ASCII file with no form of encryption. DATES: Submissions of information would be most useful if submitted within 60 days. Information submitted too long after that time, and too near the end of the document preparation process, may not receive the degree of consideration that information received earlier would. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Mitchell, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260-6101; [email protected] (copper, silver, iron) Cindy Roberts, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260-2787; [email protected] (cadmium and lead) Frank Gostomski, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260-1321; [email protected] (atrazine, diazinon, nonylphenol, MtBE and manganese) Keith Sappington, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260- 9898; [email protected] (selenium) Erik Winchester, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, 401 M. Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 260-6107; [email protected] (saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: What Are Water Quality Criteria? Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act requires the EPA to develop and publish, and from time to time revise, criteria for water accurately reflecting the latest scientific knowledge. Water quality criteria developed under section 304(a) are based solely on data and scientific judgments. They do not consider economic impacts or the technological feasibility of meeting the criteria in ambient water. Section 304(a) criteria provide guidance to States and Tribes in adopting water quality standards and provide a scientific basis for them to develop controls of discharges or releases of pollutants. The criteria also provide a scientific bases for EPA to develop federal regulations under section 303(c). What Type of Information Does EPA Want From the Public? Today, EPA is notifying the public of its intent to revise the current aquatic life criteria for copper, silver, lead, cadmium, iron and selenium and to develop new aquatic life criteria for atrazine, diazinon, nonylphenol, MtBE, manganese and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras). EPA has recently completed a comprehensive review of the available data for copper, silver, lead, cadmium, selenium, atrazine, diazinon, nonylphenol and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras). The lists of references identified by the Agency for these chemicals are available on the Office of Science and Technology's Home-page at: www.epa.gov/ost/standards/ aqualife.html. EPA is soliciting any additional pertinent data or scientific views that may be useful in revising or developing the aquatic life criteria for copper, silver, lead, cadmium, iron, selenium, nonylphenol, MtBE and manganese. In particular, EPA is interested in acquiring from the public any new data, not identified by the Agency's literature review, on the acute or chronic toxicity of these chemicals to aquatic life and scientific views on the interpretation of data or on the application of the Agency's methodology for deriving water quality criteria for these chemicals. Any data submitted should be adequately documented and contain enough supporting information to indicate that acceptable test procedures were used and that the results are likely reliable. The Agency is developing new criteria for atrazine, diazinon and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras); however, these criteria were under development prior to the Agency's revising its criteria development process. Consequently, the criteria for diazinon, atrazine and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras) are near completion, but were not developed totally in accordance with the Agency's new procedures. The availability of these criteria will be announced in the Federal Register around the same time as this notice. At that time the Agency plans to publish the atrazine, diazinon and saltwater dissolved oxygen (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras) documents as EPA recommended criteria with an invitation to submit additional data and comments. Additional data and comments will be considered in any subsequent revisions to the criteria. Biotic Ligand Model EPA is assessing the biotic ligand model for copper, silver, lead and cadmium. The biotic ligand model describes and quantifies the bioavailability of certain metals to aquatic life. The model is based on the theory that toxicity is not only related to total aqueous metal concentration, but that metal complexation and [[Page 58410]] interaction at the site of action (biotic ligand) of toxicity need to be considered. Mortality occurs in aquatic organisms when the concentration of metal bound to the biotic ligand (e.g., fish gill) exceeds a certain threshold concentration. More detailed information on the biotic ligand model can be found in the document entitled, Integrated Approach to Assessing the Bioavailability and Toxicity of Metals in Surface Waters and Sediments (EPA-822-E-99-001). To help assess the applicability of the biotic ligand model to the aquatic life criteria for these four metals, EPA is interested in receiving toxicity test data that include measurements of dissolved metal as well as: dissolved organic carbon (DOC), alkalinity or dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, sulfate and sulfide. Additionally, studies that measure metal accumulation at the surface of the fish gill or at physiologically active receptor sites for invertebrates are particularly useful. Where Can I Find More Information on EPA's Revised Process for Developing New or Revised Criteria? The Agency published detailed information about its revised process for developing and revising criteria in the Federal Register on December 10, 1998 (63 FR 68354) and in the EPA document entitled, National Recommended Water Quality-- Correction (EPA 822-Z-99-001, April 1999). The purpose of the revised process is to provide expanded opportunities for public input, and to make the criteria development process more efficient. Geoffrey H. Grubbs, Director, Office of Science and Technology. [FR Doc. 99-28314 Filed 10-28-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P